by Lilah Rivers
“She could have ridden out to see you with something in mind and simply found you stricken as you were. Because she helped you doesn’t reflect on what her intentions may have been … or may yet be.”
Josh’s offense began to rise, but his reasoning mind told him his younger brother wasn’t wrong, as vexing as that was becoming. “You suggest that she was sent by Archer and the homesteaders to seduce me … why?”
“To garner just the information you suggest volunteering!”
“But that was my idea!”
“Precisely! That’s what makes the ruse so effective … and so potent.”
Josh looked his kid brother over, suddenly seeming older and more formidable than before. Maybe the kid’s right, Josh thought, maybe I really have been underestimating him.
“We’re going to give her the benefit of the doubt for now,” Josh said.
Hugh held up his hands, palms flat out to calm the situation. “Fair enough, you’re in charge.”
“That’s right.”
“Very good. I’m just glad you’ve finally come to me for help. How did you think you were going to untangle all this mess on your own?”
Josh broke a little smile. “It only became so tangled quite quickly.”
Hugh shrugged. “I guess that’s the way things happen.”
“All too often, kid brother.”
Chapter 25
Hugh had never been in the Golden Loon Saloon, or any saloon for that matter. It was during the day, so the place wasn’t as crowded as it might have been, but there were still plenty of unsavory types in the place; cowboys smoking cigarettes, women wearing too much makeup and perfume.
Hugh glanced around, not sure how to find the man he was looking for. He glanced at a big fellow in the corner, fat and grimy and clad in worn clothes and a scraggily beard. His eyes caught Hugh’s, and the big man growled, “What’re you lookin’ at, boy?”
Hugh turned to step deeper into the saloon, but the man went on, “I asked you a question, son.” Hugh knew he had to face the man, so he stopped and turned as the human mountain stood up off the little wooden chair and stepped slowly toward him. “Man asks you a question, ain’t polite to just walk way. Gotta answer, boy.”
“I … I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to be rude, I … I didn’t realize you were talkin’ to me.”
“Well you know it now, and I’m still doin’ it, so gimme an answer!”
“What … what was the question?”
“I oughta gut you like a fish right here’n now!”
One of the women walked up to them. “Now Buster Barns, you just leave the boy alone!” The big miner backed down, and Hugh turned to the woman. A pretty redhead, she smiled and set a hand on his shoulder. “First time?”
“Beg pardon?” She let out a little chuckle, giving him a knowing look, and Hugh added, “Oh, first time here, yes. I’m looking for a man called Remington, Otis Remington, owns the place; I hear.”
“And what would a young … young fella like yerself want with Mr. Remington?”
“S’all right, Sally,” Otis said behind her, stepping up to face Hugh. “Get back to yer work now,” he told her, eyes fixed on Hugh. “What’s yer business, son?”
“Got a message from Mr. Saul Decker, sir.”
“Saul Decker? I see. You don’t work for Decker.”
“New hire, sir. Mister Decker beat my pa in a poker game last night, now I gotta work fer Mr. Decker ’til the debt’s paid off. I’m runnin’ messages fer ’im.”
Otis looked Hugh up and down. “So I see. Well, where is it?”
“Didn’t write it down, sir, said I had to deliver it personal.”
After a brief pause, Otis asked, “All right then, spit it out!”
“Mister Decker says there’s somethin’ goin’ on he’s gotta talk to you about, and he’s comin’ in fer a meetin’, right here, ten o’clock tomorrow.”
Otis seemed to give it some thought, Hugh trying to hide the rush he was feeling pulling off their little ruse. He went on, “I already told Mr. Bristol the same, so I reckon you can expect him here too.”
“Bristol,” Otis repeated, eyes shifting as he clearly gave it a bit more thought. Seeming to snap out of it, Otis dug two fingers into his vest pocket, pulled out two pennies, and handed them to Hugh. “Thanks, kid.”
Hugh wasn’t sure what to do or say next, and he reasoned the best move was a quick exit. But he only made it halfway to the door before the big man Buster Barns approached him with a distinctly more sheepish air.
“You say y’work fer Saul Decker.” Hugh just nodded and the big man extended his open hand to shake. “Didn’t mean no disrespect.” Hugh took the man’s hand, and they shook on it.
“Nice to meet ’cha, Mr. Barns.”
Hugh walked out of the saloon feeling more a man than ever before. He stepped across the street and walked down a block to where Josh had hid the buckboard and was waiting. Hugh climbed up, and Josh shook the reins, their horse pulling the buckboard into the street and down, headed out of town, their heads low.
Josh asked, “Did they take the bait?”
“Seemed to. Um, no offense again, Josh, and I know you’re in charge here, but … are you sure this is a good idea?”
“Not really. But I have to do something, Hugh. I can’t just stand by while people get hurt.”
“That Archer girl, you mean.”
“Her, yes, and her family, and my family, you! We’re all in this up to our necks, Hugh. Dad’s so stubborn, you know he won’t waiver.”
Hugh nodded. “True. Well, we’ll come back tomorrow and see how it goes.”
“No, Hugh, I’ll come back tomorrow. You’ll stay at the ranch and keep your mouth shut, make everybody think nothing’s wrong, and cover for me in case they wonder where I’ve gone. Got that?”
“Got it.”
They rode the rest of the way in silence, and Hugh knew it was a mistake for Josh to come out alone. Still, his orders had come down, and Hugh was going to follow them. Finally on the field, he wasn’t about to disobey his superior. Lives were indeed at stake; it was no game. Hugh only hoped Josh realized that as much as he did.
Chapter 26
Bella dragged the brush across Glory’s neck and shoulders and haunches. Her nostrils were filled with the scents of oats and manure. The grooming ritual was usually as soothing for Bella as it was for Glory, but on this day, it brought her little solace and no answers.
“What am I going to do, Glory?” The bay turned her head to glance at Bella, offering up a huff and a shake of her head. “Josh is going to think I’ve betrayed him when I don’t show up at the creek as we agreed. But I don’t dare defy Father! He’ll be furious, and I’ve never ever lied to him before, to anyone. And I know that just not telling them about Josh is a kind of lie, but he’s also Barnock’s best chance for peace … we are.”
Glory shook her head again, nibbling on some hay as she kept grooming her.
“I could send one of the twins, but … I don’t know, they’re likely to tell Father. They don’t seem to like Josh much to begin with, and they really like Turner Moss. If I tell them Turner’s got a true rival in Josh, they may not want to help. It might even inspire them to take more steps against the Callahans, all the ranchers. And if they tell Father, well, he’d be furious, he may even disown me!”
Glory huffed and shook her head.
“I know, he does love me, but … this whole conflict has changed him; made him more rigid, inflexible. I know that he feels he has to stand his ground, and the non-violent way is always the best way, but … if he finds I’m … I’m working with Josh, he’ll consider it a terrible betrayal.”
Glory whinnied, raising her head before lowering it for another few bites of hay.
“I know, Glory, I may be better off just leaving Josh alone, at least until all this passes. But what if it doesn’t pass? What if the only way it will pass is if Josh and I work together as he planned. What if he’s got information that we
need?”
Glory shook her head again, mane flopping on her long, muscular neck. “I can’t send my mother … Perhaps Pastor Robinson? He’s a good man, a man I can trust. He’d help out and keep my secret too. But … how do I get to him? He’s back in town, and I’m not allowed to leave the property.”
Bella went on grooming the horse, patting her down with her other hand.
“If I can contrive some excuse to go into town. I’ll need at least one of the twins with me, or Father won’t let me go. I’ll be lucky if he lets me go at all.” She ran through the possibilities in the blackness of her imagination. “Some reason that I would have to go … perhaps to visit Turner’s store. They’ll allow that, for certain. It may mean another visit with the Moss family, but … it’ll be worth it if I can get word to Josh in time.”
Glory huffed again, shaking her head and swatting a fly from his hind quarters.
“I know, Glory, I know, but it has to work, it just has to! If not … I don’t know, but it’s going to be terrible. I always knew those cattle would be the end of us. Well, not if I can help it.”
Chapter 27
Josh stepped into the Golden Loon at precisely ten o’clock, glancing around the nearly empty saloon. He walked across the saloon without a word, Otis and Parker watching him from a table in the corner.
Otis stood up and approached Josh to meet him halfway between the door and the table. “Sorry, sonny, private party today, place is closed.”
“Good,” Josh said, “I don’t want to be disturbed.” The two older men eyed Josh as he approached the table and sat down, Otis following behind and sitting down with him.
Parker asked, “What’s the meaning of all this?”
“I’m the one who called this meeting,” Josh said. “Decker doesn’t have anything to do with it.”
Parker stood up. “I’m not having my time wasted like this.”
“I think you’ll find it a valuable investment of your attention,” Josh said. Parker looked at Otis, who gave him a little nod. The land agent sat down again, and the two men looked at Josh with an expectant air.
“As you both know, there’s a war coming to Barnock, a war between the homesteaders and the ranchers; a war at the behest of Saul Decker and the other big ranchers. It’s going to be brutal, bloody, and many, many people are likely to be killed.”
Otis said, “If that happens, it’ll be because your father and that man Archer failed to negotiate the matter successfully. Perhaps you should be at home, talking to him!”
“My father is a good man, and he’s done the best he could. But his way … that’s over. A different approach is needed now, obviously; my father’s way leads us right into the grave. So don’t worry about my father. I’ll be handling things for the Callahan family from now on.”
“With his blessing?”
But Josh chose not to even answer the question. It would cut across the hardened image he was trying to project. Instead, he simply said, “What matters is that, when the ashes cool and the smoke clears, I want to be among the living, me and my whole family.”
Otis and Parker traded a silent glance.
“I know you’re both in with Decker,” Josh went on. “You, Bristol, he’s bribing you to stall out any new land claims, to bury the homesteaders’ claims. You, Remington, you’re willing to let the whole town be destroyed, so my guess is your payoff will be … tremendous. Maybe it’s a political position? Why settle for running Barnock when you can run all of Nebraska?”
Bristol looked down and then away, Otis’ eyes locked on Josh. After a long, considered silence, Bristol asked Josh, “What do you want?”
“In short, I want in. Of course my next move will be to go to Saul Decker, make him my offer in person.”
Otis asked, “What’s the offer?”
“I’ll make sure the war happens, just the way he wants it to. But I keep my land and the ranches of anybody who goes down. Decker and his lot will get all the homestead properties.”
The two men looked at one another again before Bristol asked Josh, “Why are you telling us … and not him?”
“That’s a good question, Parker. May I call you that?”
“If it’ll get you to spill the beans.”
Josh smiled. “Very good. Well, Parker, I go to Saul Decker, it can go one of three ways.”
“Assuming you don’t get gunned down on your way toward his house.”
“Unlikely,” Josh said. “I think he’ll want to hear what I have to say in any case. So I offer my services as a partner, he can say yes. Then we’re all in clover by the end of the year. He could say no and have me shot. Or he could say no and send me off. Now, in the second case, I’ll have information that will implicate him in my murder, and he’ll be sent to jail. That frees up the smaller ranchers and homesteaders to work together against the bigger ranchers. When Decker goes down, they’ll back off.”
“That’s very … noble of you,” Bristol said, “to sacrifice yourself that way.”
“It would be,” Josh said, “if I actually thought he would do it. But I doubt that very much. He’s got too much to lose by doing it, and I think he’d rather I just die in the coming battle. If he’ll come at me, that’ll be when and where he does it. So let’s move onto the third option, with Decker sending me off. Then I’m going to have to unite the other forces, the homesteaders and the smaller ranchers, against him.”
“Again,” Otis said, “why are you telling us this?”
“Because after I leave Decker’s place, it could be too late to get to you with my offer. But if things go that way, you two should consider joining me, joining us.”
“You and the other locals.”
“That’s right,” Josh said, “exactly. These are your friends and neighbors! Look, I know Decker’s filling your pockets now, making a lot of promises, but … how long do you think he’ll keep doing that once you’re no longer of any purpose to him? Once he’s got Barnock locked up, why would he bother to share the spoils?”
Otis rubbed his chin. “And yet, you would partner with him?”
Josh shrugged. “I’m ready for whatever he tries. Are you? I’ve heard him threaten your lives personally!” The men didn’t have a ready answer, so Josh went on, “Bristol, you can prove that he’s bribed a public official. We could take him down right now with that alone. And Remington, you know everybody in town. You could unite people in a band against him, stop him in his tracks. Think of the hero you’d be. And once the big ranchers stop stomping through Barnock, we’ll all make more money, we’ll spend more money, and more land claims will come in. We’ll all do well enough.”
“Well enough ain’t good enough,” Otis said.
“And coming forward as collecting bribes,” Bristol said, “if in fact I had done such a thing, could put me behind bars.”
“Not once it comes to light how many lives you’ve saved. If you did any time at all, it would be minimal.”
Bristol shook his head and leaned back in his chair. Otis asked Josh, “What makes you think we won’t go to Saul ourselves first?”
“I don’t think you want him to know anything about it,” Josh said. “He may start thinking you’re a part of it. You can try to convince him otherwise, but it may not be easy. A man in that position gets to feeling that everybody’s coming at him from different directions? He may decide you’ve already accomplished as much for him as you’re going to. Just as a safety precaution, you understand. That’s if I don’t tell him during our meeting.”
